Connecticut officials warn consumers of electricity price spikes

Published January 16. 2014 12:00PM | Updated January 16. 2014 12:51PM

Associated Press

Hartford (AP) — Connecticut's attorney general and consumer advocate are warning electricity customers about price spikes by some power suppliers nearly double what the two regulated utilities are charging.

Attorney General George Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz said Thursday that thousands of customers are being charged 17 cents per kilowatt hour. Connecticut Light & Power customers pay 9.2 cents and United Illuminating Co. charges its customers 9 cents per kilowatt hour.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is investigating.

Discount Power in Shelton tells callers that the price increases are due to extremely high demand for energy during fierce cold spells.

Joseph Rosenthal, principle attorney at the consumer counsel's office, says electricity suppliers claiming that prices follow the market usually fail to define the market and what causes price changes.